John e



J. E. CLARK (No Model.)

HARNESS.

. 'Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

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IINTTED STATES PATENT Ormes.

TEOI-IENTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,498, dated August 25, 1896.

Application filed May 12, 1896. Serial No. 591,239. (No model.)

apolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Harness, of which the following is a specification. Y

My said invention relates to that class of harness used in racing or speeding; and it consists in certain improved means of obtaining what is known as a rigid hitch.

Said invention will be first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar figures of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a horse clothed with a harness embodying my said invention; and Fig. 2, a similar view, on an enlarged scale, of those portions of the harness in which the novelty principally resides.

The harness is composed, as is usual, of a saddle 1, a saddle-girth 2, a back-strap 3, leading to the crupper, martingale-straps 4c, bearing-straps 5 on the saddle, a saddle-girth 6, and hip-straps 7, all of which, while not peculiar in themselves, are parts of the main harness structure and are necessary to aharness embodying my invention. Besides these,

of course,there are the usual bridle, lines, (inc.

which are not immediately connected to the parts with which my invention is concerned.

The tugs are each composed of a main part 3, an intermediate part 9, and a forward part 10, the latter of which terminates in the shaftcap 11. These parts are preferably connected by means of rings12 and 13, and the middle portion 9 is suspended from the saddle 1 by means of two diverging supportingstraps 15 and 16, carried from` the ring 17, which is secured to the side of the saddle at a point underneath the bearing-strap 5 in` any desired manner, the means shown being two leather clips 18, which are stitched to said saddle, or which may be riveted thereto if preferred, or metal clips may be substituted if desired. The. intermediate portion 9 of the tug embraces the bearing-strap 5, which passes through a slit between the two members of said tug portions, as shown most plainly in Fig. 2.

The thills or shafts 19 pass through the eyes 20 on the lower ends of the bearing-straps 5, and enter the shaft-caps 11 at the forward ends of the tugs. The main tug portions 8 are then hitched to the singletree of the vehicle, (not shown,) when, as will be readily understood, the distance between the animal and vehicle becomes a determinate one and what is known among horsemen as a rigid hitch7 is secured. The attachment of the tug to the saddle by means of the supportingstraps 15 and 16 is for a double purpose. The point of attachment is that where the saddle is more firmly held upon the horses body, both by its own form and by the aid of the martin gale-straps and back-strap, than any other point to which it is practicable to make this connection; and, said straps both being provided with buckles, a very accurate adjustment of the relative position of the tug to the other portions of the harness may also be secured. The tu gs being also secured to the bearing -straps 5, (said bearing-straps passing through said tugs, as before eX- plained,) they are held in the proper relation to the saddle and thills. The pull is evenly distributed and bears easily upon the animal, while at the same time the attachment is very secure.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, ina harness, with the saddle, and tugs, of supports for said tugs consisting of straps running in diverging lines from a point on said saddle downwardly to said tugs, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a harness, of the saddle, the bearingstraps, the tugs, said tugs and bearing-straps being slidably connected together, and supporting-straps eX- tending from a point on the saddle in divergent lines downwardly to and attached to said tugs.

3. The combination, in a harness, of the saddle, the bacl -strap,the martingale-straps, the tugs, hip-straps extending from the backstrap to the tugs, supporting-straps connected to the saddle and to the tugs, and the bearing-straps also connected to the tugs, said tugs being provided with caps to receive the forward ends of the vehicle-shafts,

TOO

e the Whole being arranged and operating subof three parts Connected by rings, and su pporting-straps Connected to the saddle at the upper end and to the rings connected to the tug parts at the lower ends, substantially as shown and described.

In. Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 9th day of May, A. D. 1896.

JOHN E. CLARK. [n s] Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, JAMES A. WALSH. 

